Returnable box



Sept. 29, 1936. s. A. NAGY RETURNABLE BOX Filed NOV. 2, 1935 MAW/75721 .1

Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE RETURNABLE BOX Application November 2, 1935, Serial No. 47,916

10 Claims.

The invention relates to a returnable box for use in shipping heavy materials.

Shipping boxes suitable for the transportation of heavy materials, such as solder, lead, heavy castings, etc., must, if they are to be sufficiently strong, be made of relatively heavy lumber and of sturdy construction, with the result that the cost of labor and material required for such boxes is considerable. It is the practice of shippers of such materials to use boxes, all parts of which are secured together prior to shipment by means of nails or other permanent fastening means, with the result that opening of the box by the consignee of the goods renders it unfit for subsequent use. Thus, a rather considerable expenditure for boxes is a total loss to the manufacturer, and consequently to the purchaser of the materials. Many attempts have been made to design a box of this character with a removable top releasably held in place by means which can be disengaged without injuring the cover or remaining portions of the box, in order that the box may be returned and reused, but so far as applicant is aware no such structure has been devised which is suitable for the shipment of heavy materials and which at the same time is sufficiently inexpensive or sufiiciently easy to open and close to justify its use. It is the object of the present invention to provide a returnable box structure for shipping heavy materials in which is provided a removable lid adapted to be readily locked in position on the top of the box or released therefrom, and to provide such a structure which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which includes a lid locking means adapted to reinforce and strengthen the entire box structure so that it will withstand repeated use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting for an eye member for the reception of a crane hook to be used in lifting or handling the box when loaded.

Referring to the drawing, in which like numerals are applied to like parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the improved box structure.

Fig. 2 is a side View of the box shown in Figure 1 with a portion shown in vertical longitudinal section.

Figure 3 shows a modified form of the box.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is provided a box having a pair of end walls Ill and II, a pair of side walls l2 and I3, and a bottom wall M. The end and side walls and bottom wall are secured together in the position shown by any suitable means such as nails or screws, not shown; and a pair of reinforcing straps l5 and I6 are wrapped around the side walls and bottom wall in the plane of the end members Ill and H. These straps seat in suitable grooves in the side 5 walls and in the bottom wall, as shown at I I in Fig. 2, and extend over the top of each end wall, as shown at H3 in Figure 2. The straps are nailed or otherwise secured in place around the box. A pair of reinforcing members I 9 and 20 are secured in upright position to the opposite sides of end wall It and are secured in place by any suitable means such as nails or screws 2|. It will be observed that these members l9 and 25 extend somewhat above the top edge of the end wall Iii and the side walls l2 and I3 and that the side walls extend at their ends beyond the end walls It and H into overlapping relation with the reinforcing members l9 and 28. The bottom member l4 abuts at one end against 0 the reinforcing members I9 and 20 and extends at its sides outwardly beneath the side walls l2 and I3 and flush with their outer surfaces. The opposite end of the box from that shown in Figure 1 is similarly constructed, having upright reinforcing members 22 and 23.

The box is provided with a lid 24 adapted to seat upon the top edges of the side and end walls in endwise abutment with the upper extensions on reinforcing members it and 2G, 22 and 23, and 30 to extend substantially flush with the outer sides of side walls I2 and L3. The means for reinforcing the box and for releasably holding the. lid in position thereon comprises four vertically extending bars 26, 25, 26 and 21 preferably made of rolled steel. These bars are positioned in pairs at opposite sides of the box respectively, and are seated in vertical grooves in the side walls of the box and aligned grooves in the edge of the. bottom wall, so that their outer surfaces lie substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the side walls. They are fixedly secured to the side walls of the box by bolts 35 and to the edge of the bottom wall by screws 3E. The side edges of lid member 24 are provided with similar aligned grooves 32 adapted to receive integral upward extensions of the reinforcing bars 25, 25, 25 and 21, respectively.

The upper ends of the reinforcing bars are provided with horizontally extending slots, as at 33 on reinforcing bar 24, adapted to receive the free ends of a pair of locking members 34 and 35, which are pivotally secured to the lid of the box by means of bolts 36 and 31 respectively. The horizontal slots in the upward extensions of reinforcing rods 24, 25, 28 and 21 have their lower edges substantially flush with the top surface of the lid, and the oppositely disposed reinforcing bar extensions are provided with oppositely directed slots such as with the result that pivotal movement of the looking members 3d and 35 will swing their opposite ends respectively into said slots to lock the lid of the box against vertical movement with respect to the remainder thereof. The horizontal slots in the reinforcing bars are designed to have a fairly snug fit with the pivoted locking bars es and are so arranged that the locking bars are in tight contact with the top surface of the lid when they are in latched position. This supplies sufficient frictional engagement between the locking members and the'lid to hold the members in locked position, but accidental displacement of the members may be further prevented by a pair of adjustable abutment devices 38 and 32 which are pivotally secured to the lid by bolts or screws and are adapted in the position shown to prevent accidental dlsplacem .it of locking members 3% and 35. The abutment members 38 and 34 are so positioned with respect to members 34 and 35 that they may be struck by a hammer and wedged against the members to hold them in position.

In some instances it may be desirable to seal the lid in locked position on the box to prevent unauthorized opening thereof and the construction shown is readily adapted for the familiar wire type of seal. One possible mode of attaching such a seal is shown in the drawing, wherein an aperturecl block 48 is shown spot welded to one of the locking arms. The sealing wire is passed through a suitable aperture the upper extension of the adjacent upright member 25 and through the aperture in block 56, and the wire ends are permanently secured together. The arrangement is such that the locking member 35 cannot be moved out of the slot in member 25 without breaking the wire.

It will be observed that by reason of the. arrangement just described the vertical reinforcing bars 24, 25, 26 and 21 are fixedly secured to both the side walls and bottom member of the box, thus assisting in holding these members together and materially reinforcing the box structure in general. In addition, the arrangement transmits any pulling force on the reinforcing bars caused by a tendency of the lid to be removed not only to the side walls but also to the bottom of the box, thus materially increasing the strength of the parts. The box lid is held against movement laterally of the box by its edge abutment with the inner faces of the reinforcing bars, and is held against longitudinal movement with respect to the box not only by members 59, 2e, 22 and 23, but also by the reinforcing bars 2%, 25, 26 and 27? by reason of the recesses 32 which engage the latter bars. Likewise, it will be noted the positioning of the vertical bars in recesses in both the side walls and in the bottom member assist in preventing longitudinal movement of the bottom member with respect to the side walls, and the inner faces of the lower ends of reinforcing bars 24, 25, 26 and 2'! assist in holding the bottom member against lateral movement with respect to the sides of the box. The result is a very sturdy construction adapted for repeated use but which is nevertheless quite simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

The top of the box is provided with a pair of transversely extending reinforcing and spacer members 45 and 46, nailed or otherwise secured permanently to the lid of the box and having top surfaces in a plane substantially parallel to the lid and spaced thereabove by an amount slightly greater than the distance the upper extensions of reinforcing bars 24, 25, 26 and 21 extend above the top surface of the lid. The function of these spacer members t and 46 is to provide a surface upon which the box may rest or against which an adjacent box or wall may bear without contacting the ends of the reinforcing bars. This protects the ends of the reinforcing bars and the pivoted latch members 34 and 35 from injury during handling of the box and simplifies handling and storage thereof. When it is desired to open the box the only instrument required is a hammer, two hammer blows being sufficient to release abutment members 38 and 39 whereupon two additional blows on the adjacent edges of members 34 and 35, respectively, at one side of the box will release the lid. The box may be closed by the same operation in reverse order.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, there is provided an improved mounting for a pair of eye members ll and 58, which may be engaged by a bar or a pair of crane hooks for lifting the box. When loaded these boxes may weigh 500 pounds or more with the result that they are most conveniently handled by a crane. In such case, however, it is desirable to have a convenient and very sturdy connecting means for engaging the crane hook. In the form shown, the eye members 41 and 48 comprise plate members having openings adjacent one end thereof and having their opposite ends secured in suitable recesses in the sides of the box, so that their outer surfaces are flush with the outer surface of the side walls. The eye members are secured in position by screws 49 engaging with the, side wall of the box, and by an elongated bolt or rod 50 which extends entirely through the box and passes through suitable openings in the ends of the respective eye members 41 and 48. Internally of the box the bolt or rod 50 is positioned in direct abutment throughout its length with the inner surface of the end wall if], as shown in Figure 2, with the result that the lifting force is applied not only to the side walls but also directly to the end wall of the box structure. Suitable retaining means such as nuts are provided at the ends of the rod or bolt 50 to secure it in position.

In Figure 3 there is shown a modified form of the box of simpler construction and particularly adapted for use with lighter materials or smaller sizes of boxes. The right hand end of this modified form, as viewed in the drawing, is constructed in the same manner as is the box shown in Figures 1 and 2 and hence, need not be described, but the left hand end has been modified by eliminating the opposed reinforcing bars and cooperating pivoted latch member, and substituting therefor a pair of retaining and reinforcing bars 55 and 56 which are secured in abutment with the end wall Si by means of bolts 58 and in abutment with the end edge of bottom wall 59 by means of screws 60. of reinforcing bars 55 and 56 extend upwardly beyond the top edge of the end wall 51 and thence are directed inwardly as at 61 and B2, respec tively, into overlapping relation with respect to the adjacent ends of the lid 63. The top surface of this end of the lid is recessed to receive the extension 6! and 62 so that the extensions will prevent lateral movement of the lid. It will be observed that in this form the lid retaining force is also transmitted not only to the end wall but to the bottom Wall of the box.

The upper ends In assembling the lid on the type of box shown in Fig. 3, it is only necessary to insert one end thereof beneath the inward extensions 6| and 62 on reinforcing bars 55 and 56 respectively and then slide the opposite end of the box into endwise abutting relation with the upward extensions of the reinforcing bars 64 and 65 until the lid rests upon the top edges of the side and end walls. In this position, the vertical reinforcing bar 65 will be positioned within the groove 61 in the lid, as described with respect to the modifications shown in Figures 1 and 2. It is only necessary, then, to drive the pivoted latching member into interlocking engagement with the slots in the upward extension of the vertical reinforcing bars to complete the lidding operation.

It will be observed that there has been provided a removable lid for a heavy shipping box wherein the lid securing mechanism not only reinforces the entire box but transmits the lid securing forces to the side and bottom members thereof. Accordingly, the box is very rugged and will withstand repeated shipments and at the same time is simple, inexpensive to manufacture and very easily lidded and opened.

What is claimed is:

1. A returnable box for shipping heavy materials including a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall secured together, said end walls having portions extending above the top edges of the sides of the box, a reinforcing bar at each side of the box fixedly secured to the adjacent side edge of the bottom wall and to the side wall of the box, said bars having integral, horizontally slotted, vertical extensions above the top edges of the side walls, a removable lid adapted to rest upon the top of the box between the bar extensions and in abutment with said portions of the end walls, and a locking bar permanently secured to said lid for movement in a plane parallel thereto and having end portions adapted respectively to have an interlocking engagement with said bar extensions at said slots to lock the lid on the box.

2. A returnable box for shipping heavy materials including a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall secured together, said end walls having portions extending above the top edges of the sides of the box, a reinforcing bar at each side of the box fixedly secured to the adjacent side edge of the bottom wall and to the side wall of the box, said bars having integral, horizontally slotted, vertical extensions above the top edges of the side walls, a removable lid adapted to rest upon the top of the box between the bar extensions and in abutment with said portions of the end walls, a locking bar permanently secured to said lid for movement in a plane parallel thereto and having end portions adapted respectively to have an interlocking engagement with said bar extensions at said slots to lock the lid on the box, and reinforcing means secured to said lid at spaced points thereon and having upper surfaces located in a plane substantially parallel to the lid and spaced above the top surface thereof by an amount not less than the height of said bar extensions above said lid surface.

3. A returnable box for shipping heavy materials including a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom member secured together, each of said side walls being provided with a groove in its outer surface, a reinforcing bar seated in each of said grooves, means fixedly securing the bars to the respective side Walls, each of said bars having an integral, horizontally slotted, vertical extension above the top edge of the adjacent side wall, a removable box lid adapted to seat on the top of the box between said bar extensions and having grooves therein for the reception of said bar extensions, and locking means permanently secured to the lid and adapted to releasably engage said slots to hold the lid in position on the box.

at. A returnable box for shipping heavy materials including a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall secured together, each of said side walls being provided with a groove extending entirely across its outer surface, said bottom member being provided with grooves in its outer edges aligned with said side wall grooves respectively, a reinforcing bar seated in each of said first named grooves and extending into the aligned grooves in said bottom member, means fixedly securing the bars to the said side walls and bottom member, each of said bars having an integral, horizontally slotted vertical extension above the top edge of the adjacent side walls, a removable box lid adapted to seat on the top of said box between said bar extensions and having grooves therein for the reception of said bar extensions, and locking means permanently secured to the lid and adapted to releasably engage said slots to hold the lid in position on the box.

5. A returnable box for shipping heavy materials comprising, a pair of side walls, a pair of end Walls, and a bottom member connected together, means associated with one end wall defining a horizontally extending inwardly opening slot for the reception of one end of a box lid, the other end wall having a portion extending vertically above the top edges of said side walls, a pair of members secured respectively at opposite sides of the box and having extensions above the top edges of the side walls, a box lid adapted to rest on said side walls between said extensions with one end positioned within said slot and the other in abutment with said portion of said other end wall, and means permanently connected to the lid for releasably engaging said last named extensions for holding the lid against vertical movement with respect to said box.

6. A returnable box for shipping heavy materials comprising, a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom wall connected together, a member secured to the outer surface of one of said end walls and having an extension directed upwardly and then inwardly from the top edge of said end wall, the other end wall having a portion extending vertically above the top edges of said side walls, a pair of reinforcing bars at opposite sides of the box respectively secured to the side edges of the bottom member and to the side wall, said bars having integral, horizontally slotted vertical extensions above the top edges of the side walls, a box lid adapted to rest on said walls between said bar extensions with one end positioned beneath the horizontal extension on said member and the other end in abutment with said portion of said other end wall, and a locking bar permanently secured to said lid for movement in a plane parallel thereto and having end portions adapted respectively to have interlocking engagement with said bar extensions at said slots to lock the lid on the box.

7. A returnable shipping box including a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom wall secured together, means on said end walls extending above the top edges of the side walls,

a bar at each side of the box fixedly secured to the respective side walls and having integral extensions above the top edges of the side walls, a removable lid adapted to rest upon the top of the box between the bar extensions and with its ends in abutment with said means on the end walls, a locking means permanently secured to said lid for movement in a plane parallel thereto into interlocking engagement with said bar extensions to lock the lid on the box, and reinforcing means secured to said lid at spaced points thereon and extending above the lid by an amount not less than the height of said bar extensions above said lid.

8. A returnable box construction comprising, a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom wall connected together, a member secured to the outer surface of one of said end walls and having an extension directed upwardly and then inwardly from the top edge of said Wall, the other end wall having means extending vertically above the top edges of said side walls, a pair of locking elements at opposite sides of the box respectively secured to the side walls, said elements having integral horizontally slotted vertical extensions above the top edges of the side Walls, a box lid adapted to rest on said walls between the extensions of said elements with one end positioned beneath the horizontal extension on said member and the other end in abutment with said means on the other end wall, a locking bar permanently secured to said lid for movement in a plane parallel thereto and having end portions adapted respectively to have interlocking engagement with the extensions of said elements at said slots to lock the lid on the box.

9. A returnable shipping box including a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom wall secured together, means on said end walls extending above the top edges of the side walls, a bar at each side of the box fixedly secured to the respective side walls and having integral extensions above the top edges of the side walls, a removable lid adapted to rest upon the top of the box between the bar extensions and with its ends in abutment with said means on the end walls, a locking means permanently secured to said lid for movement in a plane parallel thereto into interlocking engagement with said bar extensions to lock the lid on the box, and means se cured to said lid at spaced points thereon and extending above the lid by an amount not less than the height of said bar extensions above said lid.

10. A returnable shipping box including a pair of side walls, a pair of end Walls, and a bottom Wall secured together, a member fastened at each side of the box fixedly secured to the respective side walls, said member having horizontally slotted extensions above the top edges of the side walls, a removable lid adapted to rest upon the top oi the box between the extensions of said members, and a locking bar pivoted intermediate its ends on said lid and adapted upon rotation to engage in said slots respectively for locking said lid in position, said bar having an integral upstanding projection adjacent that portion of one end of the bar which engages in one of said slots and in such position on that bar that the projection will lie along side of the upstanding slotted member when the bar is engaged in said slots, and said upstanding projection and the upper extension of the adjacent of said slotted members being provided with apertures adapted to receive the flexible wire of a wire sealing device for sealing the box against unauthorized opening.

STEPHEN A. NAGY. 

